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Do I Need To Hire a Removals Company?

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Moving home can be quite a stressful and expensive experience, from searching for and viewing your dream property, to getting the keys and finally moving in. One of the biggest questions people ask when moving house is if they need to hire a removals company, or if it would be better to just hire a van and rally their friends and family round to help them move. This isn’t a question with a single answer, as each person’s situation is different, and there are many different factors to consider when deciding, such as the time and money you have, how much furniture you have, and how heavy/difficult it is to transport. There are pros and cons to both options, and here well talk you through them, to help you figure out if you need to hire a removals company.

How much do you need to move?

This is probably the most important and obvious question to ask when weighing up whether to hire a van or a removals company. The amount and weight of the furniture and other belongings you need to move will affect factors such as the size of the van you need to hire (understandably, the price goes up with the size), how much time it will take you to move it (another factor that will boost the cost of the van hire), and how much help you’ll need to move everything.

For example, if you’re moving from a furnished apartment and only have small furniture and appliances, and other personal items to move, it would probably be cheaper to hire a van, as the move will most likely be a quick one. However, if you’re packing up and moving everything from one house to another, this will obviously require a bigger vehicle, more time, and more manpower to move. In this case, it’s better to hire a removals company; the cost of the van and the manpower will usually be included in a package deal, and will work out quicker, cheaper and easier than trying to do it yourself.

How far do you need to move?

This is another important question; the distance you have to move will determine whether you hire a van or a removals company. If you have a lot of heavy furniture, and are moving a long distance, hiring a van could become quite costly; if you have to make multiple trips with one van, you may have to pay extra to hire the van for a longer period. Or you may even have to hire multiple vans to avoid going back and forth. In this case, you may consider that hiring a removals company would be quicker and cheaper. However, you need to query the distance to which a removals company is willing to travel; some smaller, local companies will only carry out jobs within a certain radius, or a number of miles.

What is your budget?

As discussed, different factors will affect the cost of your move. Many consider hiring a van the cheaper option, as it cuts the cost of the crew and other service charges. However, when hiring a van you have to consider the cost of extras on top of the hire price, such as packing materials, petrol, and insurance; they soon add up. You also need to keep in mind that cutting the cost of the crew means you need to create your own moving party, and rely on kind friends and family.

Hiring a removals company may seem a bit more expensive, but it is important to consider the benefits that come with enlisting professionals; a company will give you a set cost for the whole service upfront, so you can budget accordingly; they have the knowledge and training to pack and transport your belongings professionally and safely, and will take the stress and hard work out of your hands, so that you can focus on other things.

Ultimately, the decision to hire a van or a removals company depends on these three factors; how much do you have to move, how far do you need to go, and how much budget you have. If you don’t have much furniture to transport, or you have the luxury of time, a large budget and the help of friends to move at your own pace, then a van may be the best option for you. However, if you have a lot of heavy, difficult furniture to move and are short on time and manpower, hiring a professional removals company will make your move easier and less stressful for you.

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